Job Description

REI, a leading outdoor retail co-op, is seeking a highly experienced and visionary Senior Engineering Leader for the role of VP, Technology – Enterprise Systems. This position presents a unique opportunity to advance our technical capabilities and play a pivotal role in supporting the Co-op's aspirations. As the co-op's technology leader for foundational transformation, you will have the responsibility to lead major programs such as merchandising planning transformation, supply chain optimization, product lifecycle management renovation, turbocharging data and analytics, driving efficiency across co-op business processes, modernizing retail operations, co-op brand, and delivering high-performance solutions and support.

Reporting directly to the Chief Technology Officer, Guillaume Ledieu, the leader will be entrusted with driving productivity and engagement with functional and technical team members, internal and external. In this strategic and influential role, you will unify and continuously modernize our solution implementation practice and unlock efficiency gains, valuable data and information assets across the co-op. As a strategic leader, you will be responsible for providing both the visionary direction and the pragmatic execution roadmap necessary to achieve success. You will have a lasting impact on how REI operates, our foundational capabilities and the success of the Co-op.

At REI Co-op, we believe time outside is fundamental to a life well lived and exist to inspire and enable a life outside for everyone. To deliver on that promise, we are working with our 17,000+ employees, 23M members and the broader outdoor community toward a reality where everyone has the opportunity to be themselves, to access opportunities and find their place in the outdoors. For us, that means: 

• Investing in work that removes the barriers people and communities face to getting outside.
• Delivering relevant products, experiences, and expertise to equip and inspire a new generation of outdoor stewards.
• Cultivating a workforce that reflects and inspires the demographics of the markets we serve.
• Leading the industry’s efforts to welcome people and communities historically underrepresented into outdoor media and culture.

Essential Leadership Behaviors

The Essential Leadership Behaviors are required by the future VP, Technology – Enterprise Systems to connect directly to the mission, the strategy and deliver on the quadruple bottom line that measures success for the Co-op: outcomes for our employees, better outcomes for members, the positive impact we have on the communities we serve, all made possible by a growing and profitable business.

The VP, Technology – Enterprise Systems will do this by:

• As a member of the Senior Leadership Team and the Leadership Forum, developing a deep understanding of the current and future foundation technology, while effectively communicating and broadly supporting execution of company strategies and priorities.
• Modelling the way for proactive collaboration and championing what is best for the co-op by working closely with the Chief Technology Officer, Leadership Team members, and other functional leaders to ensure coordination of activities and resources within the organization.
• Driving productivity and engagement through effective leadership, mentorship, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive and innovative hybrid work environment, composed of internal and partners located around the globe.
• Challenging the status quo and leading the modernization efforts of the end-to-end supply chain, co-op brand, data and analytics, and merchandising capabilities, keeping pace with industry trends, and leveraging cutting-edge technologies where appropriate.
• Assessing the feasibility and benefits of leveraging existing technologies, platforms, and best practices that align with our goals.
• Defining and implementing methodologies that leverage best-in-class implementation principles to accelerate product/platform/service development and innovation (e.g., Agile, DevOps, Cloud, etc.).
• Exhibiting unquestionable integrity, ethics and the courage and ability to take a strong position when required for the good of the company.
• Delivering results and advance the strategic direction by ensuring day-to-day operations run smoothly.
• Driving decision making, demonstrating agility and show courage in taking risks.
• Defining organizational goals and objectives which balance the delivery of new capabilities, ongoing operational requirements, and a continuous improvement agenda.
• Developing and maintaining strong relationships with key business stakeholders.
• Leading the Co-op Way and role model REI’s Values in Action at all times.

Professional Qualifications and Experience

The Professional Qualifications and Experience required by the VP of Technology – Enterprise Systems are imperative to the success of the candidate and the long-term success of the Co-op. 

• Applied business transformation experience including implementation of large-scale enterprise systems such as SAP ERP, merchandising platforms, supply chain technology, HRIS at an omni channel retailer or direct to consumer business.
• Experience handling multiple parallel large enterprise initiatives, managing a complex enterprise program portfolio including concurrent release management, thoughtfully adapting priorities in a constantly evolving business environment, sourcing & partner management.
• Technology strategy experience developing, planning, and implementing the company’s technology strategy, with special focus on execution and ensuring timely and quality outcomes. Possesses a strong point of view on best practices and influences team members and stakeholders accordingly.
• Talent Leadership - Ability to lead, inspire and motivate large teams, strategic relationships, and third-party vendors, both on-shore and off-shore. Ability to build exceptional teams, including hiring, developing, mentoring, and retaining talent and creating a deep talent pipeline.
• Business transformation and process optimization, with a focus on applying industry standards and purposefully deviating to accommodate unique business differentiators such as competitive advantage, time to market and/or customer experience.
• Procurement & cost optimization experience to maximize external partnerships value for delivery, operations, maintenance and support at competitive rates and service levels.
• Supply chain management experience with an understanding of inventory management, warehouse management and automation, transportation, and labor management from source to customer.
• Merchandising & planning experience including demand forecasting & planning, supply planning, assortment planning, financial planning, allocation & replenishment, product lifecycle management .
• Omni Channel operations including customer order optimization, fulfilment flexibility.
• Data, Data Governance and advanced analytics experience including distributed data, multi-data warehouse environments, real-time analytics and machine learning.
• Change Agent and Change Management experience with a track record of successfully leading organizational change initiatives and creating strong engagement overcoming resistance to change with a seamless Business-Technology partnership.
• Collaboration & Influence - Ability to engage and influence across the organization at every level to get things done. Ability to develop trust to facilitate strong relationships across all levels, internal and external.
• Results Orientation - Possesses strong project management skills, business skills and financial acumen to ensure deliverables are achieved under tight deadlines with rigor and precision.
• Industry Trends & Best Practices - Possesses a thoughtful point of view and remains current on industry trends impacting end to end value chain, merchandising, finance, HR and other foundational technologies including customer and employee experience. Has an informed perspective on best-in-class experiences and technologies.
• Decision Making & Judgment - Demonstrates a high degree of professionalism and judgment. Ability to make and effectively communicate difficult decisions in a timely way in support of the co-op’s mission.
• Education - Undergraduate degree and MBA from a leading program are highly desirable.

At REI, we believe the outdoors is for all. We are committed to becoming a  fully inclusive, anti-racist, multicultural organization . We know that there's strength in our diversity – that each employee brings unique skills, experiences, and perspectives. Every day you are driving change, fostering a culture of respect, and knowing you're backed by benefits that support your whole life. To work towards this commitment and fulfill our brand promise of inspiring and enabling a life outside for everyone, we seek employees who demonstrate different ways of working, create a sense of belonging, and actively listen and learn.   

Pay Transparency  

We are committed to practices that promote pay equity and transparency. As required by applicable Pay Transparency laws, REI  provides a range of compensation for roles that may be hired in locations under these requirements. Factors that may be used to  determine your actual salary may include a wide array of factors, including: your specific skills and experience, geographic  location or other relevant factors. 

REI offers all regular employees a generous employee discount, access to health benefits, a retirement savings plan and  accrued time off. Click  here for a detailed overview of benefits plans by employee profile.  

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